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PM supports rocking on the beach

LYME Regis’s record-breaking bid Guitars On The Beach has won the support of the Prime Minister – with David Cameron giving the thumbs up to the venture for encouraging young people to learn to play music.

GOTB organisers have received a letter from 10 Downing Street praising as ‘wonderful’ the event which last year drew more than 2,000 guitarists to perform on Lyme’s Front Beach.

Mr Cameron wrote: ‘It is wonderful that so many people attended last year’s event, and I hope that you will succeed in breaking the record this year.

“Occasions of this sort bring people together from many parts of the country to share their love of music, and help to encourage as many young people as possible to pick up an instrument and feel a sense of achievement.

“Please pass on our very best wishes to everyone involved in what we hope is a record-breaking event.”

Last September 2,200 guitarists of all ages and abilities played Buddy Holly’s ‘Rave On’, led by Lyme’s Billy Geraghty and a house band of Lyme musicians.

The event set a UK record and organisers claimed the title as Britain’s Biggest Band.

This year, on Saturday, September 6, Guitars On The Beach will have another attempt at the Guinness world record, currently held by Poland, who gathered 6,000 guitarists together in 2009.

Already more than 3,000 guitarists have signed up to play this year’s song, Status Quo’s ‘Rocking All Over The World’.

A GOTB spokesman said: “Guitars On The Beach is an extension of the Government’s National Music Plan, which aims to encourage children to learn a musical instrument.

“So we are delighted that the Prime Minister has seen this connection and has given our event his backing.

“We have already beaten the US and German attempts on the world record and now we’re going after the Poles’ hold on it.

“We may not beat the Polish record this year, but we will one year and Guitars On The Beach will keep going until Lyme wins the record for Britain. “But the success of GOTB is not just setting a new record. Many people who took part last year had never played a guitar before, but they learnt the chords for one song so that they could say ‘I did it, I’m part of Britain’s Biggest Band’. That is the achievement of Guitars On The Beach, the true achievement of everybody who practised and practised to be part.

“We’ve already got one three-year-old boy who is learning guitar with his grandfather for this year’s event and we hope that parents will help other children to join him.”